Trapped Wire Starts Fire at Temple Home, Displacing Two

Temple firefighter say an electrical cable caused a house fire that displaced two people Sunday afternoon.

Temple Fire and Rescue spokesman Thomas Pechal reports that fire crews were dispatched to the 1100 block of South 27th Street at 4: 22 PM. Whey the arrived at 4:30 PM, they saw light smoke coming from the rear of the home.

While sizing up the scene, firefighters noticed an electrical wire resting on the metal roof of the home's rear porch and determined that it was energized. They careful extinguished the fire and check the rest of the house for signs of flames, but didn't find any.

Thankfully, no injuries were reported.

Investigators determined that the electrical cable became trapped against the metal surface during contracting work hat was performed on the home. Over time, abrasions formed in the insulation of the wire, which ultimately caused it to short out and start the fire.

The dollar amount of the damage was estimated to be around $2,000. Two people living in the home were displaced and are staying with friends, Pechal said.